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May 22, 2008

G50: Red Sox 11, Royals 8

Dice again walked a small army of batters (5.2-6-2-6-7, 118), but wriggled out of several jams and stranded eight Royals over five innings.

J.D. Drew hit a grand slam to left in the second (after three straight singles to start the inning) and Mike Lowell did the same in the sixth (after Manny Ramirez was walked intentionally).

It was the first time two Red Sox hitters hit salami dongs since May 2, 1995 (John Valentin and Mo Vaughn, in consecutive innings, at New York).

Craig Hansen and David Aardsma pitched poorly in the seventh and eighth and Kansas City -- down 11-3 after six innings -- actually brought the tying run to the plate against Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth.

But Boston held on and finished up a perfect 7-0 homestand. The Red Sox are now a major-league best 31-19 - no other team has more than 28 victories.

The Red Sox -- with the best record in baseball -- will try to finish up a 7-0 homestand. They are 20-5 at Fenway so far this season.

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Rob Neyer and Jonah Keri look at five teams -- the Tigers, Rockies, Padres, Mariners and Yankees -- and discuss their chances of contending. ... Michael Salfino, SNY.tv: "[I]t's alarmingly easy to envision a scenario where this 2008 Yankees team is analogous to the 1964 club that ended a 15-year dynasty."

Manny's mouthguard ... Mel Parnell recalls his 1956 no-hitter ... Three new Red Sox wines: Captain's Cabernet, Vintage Papi and Sauvignyoouuk Blanc. ... The Mindy McCready documentary (due out in July) will include "her side of the Roger Clemens story".

Sweep. Sweep!I work with a Royals fan who has been giving me a huge silent treatment all week, so it's no fun even giving him a hard time.Which begs the question: How can you possibly be a Royals fan and not have any sense of humour about the Royals? I don't get it.

Anyone have any hard numbers on this (still young) season's streaks versus last year's? It feels like we've had longer winning and losing streaks in a third the time as last year. (I'm pretty sure we never had a six-game winning streak, for instance.)

So, I was able to figure out how to adjust the vertical size of my TV, and be able to move it from side to side. I went through every serviceman option and none of it could help out with the horizontal side, or the crookedness. Also have problems with the picture being a bit trapezoidal.

So, I'm not sure there's anything else I can do. Except live with it or switch to my old TV.

mentioned gathright trying to steal third, because often at fenway, being on second ("scoring position") doesn't guarantee you can score on a single, esp. one to left, because manny plays shallow, the ball might hit the jut, etc.

i hate the term "scoring position" since it can apply to any base or the at-bat guy, and it would confuse new fans when the guy does not score ...

so since there is so many times that a guy in "scoring position" does not score, the empty phrase should be abolished.

THIS is why Sexy Lips thought it was a good percentage play to go down to Pawtucket rather than hook up with another team. The middle relief has gor to stabilize or something has to be done. Giving 8 runs to KC is ridiculous.

Manny Ramirez: Soft infield single up the middle.*Mike Lowell: Soft singled in the hole between short and third.*Kevin Youkilis: Hard single between short and third.J.D. Drew: Grand slam.

*Both of these might have been fielded by shortstop Tony Pena. Unfortunately, shortstop Tony Pena is hitting .162 and was replaced in the lineup by Alberto Callaspo, who can hit better but has the range of the Pesky Pole. Let’s be honest, it ain’t easy putting together the Kansas City Royals lineup every day.

Fun Fenway fact: Did you know that there is not a Citgo station within 12 miles of the famous Citgo Sign behind the Green Monster?

Redsock: I was being facetious about Taveras's motives for staying, but if he isn't traded, he may yet prove useful at some point. I cannot remember the Sox ever having so much pitching depth in the minors---amazing. It will be even more amazing if they can't find a solid middle relief corps with so many good arms.

Again I say: the fact the Sox are this much better than the league even with the problems they've had shows me that the team will absolute wow us before the season is over.

Some interesting names on that list. Carmona, Volquez (without having seen him pitch a full game, he reminds me a lot of a young Pedro Martinez), and Young. Remember last year when Chris Young absolutely baffled the Red Sox in San Diego? He was so tall, and threw his pitches so straight, and they weren't even at 90 mph, and he was still dominant. I hadn't heard too much about him this year, until he took a ball to the nose off the bat of Albert Pujols. He ended up taking out Young and his catcher Josh Bard in the same inning.

I wonder if there's ever been a player who's caused a trip to the DL for a pitcher and his catcher in the same inning.